SHANNON URTNOWSKI
A&E Assistant
As a generation that seeks the latest technology, movies and news, watching a play written in the early 1600s sounds less than appealing. However, Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night, or What you Will,” which opens in Smothers Theatre on April 4, will have a “modern edge” that Director Danny Campbell said he tried to add.
Shakespeare’s language will not be altered, Campbell said, but the setting is contemporary, modeled closely after Malibu and its surroundings.
“We’ve really tried to cater to the audience,” he said. “We want to give students an opportunity to put down their books and have fun for three hours.”
“Twelfth Night” is a romantic comedy with a mixture of serious and funny scenes for viewers to enjoy, said freshman Tricia Huntress, who will play the parts of Curio and first officer. Featuring mistaken identity, love conflicts and revenge, Campbell said he believes “Twelfth Night” is Shakespeare’s best comedy. It is Shakespeare’s third and final “mature comedy,” the others being “Much Ado About Nothing” and “As You Like It.”
A twisted love triangle drives the plot, and it begins with lead character, Viola, played by junior Kari Miller, falling in love with Duke Orsino, played by senior Sean Lyons. Viola’s ship has wrecked off the coast of Illyria, Orsino’s land, and she is stuck there. Despite Viola’s love, Orsino purses the affection of Countess Olivia, played by senior Megan Matthews. To makes matters more confusing, Olivia is in love with Viola’s male disguise, Cesario. Viola disguises herself as Cesario to secretly serve Orsino.
Adding to the chaos, Viola has a twin brother, Sebastian, who is repeatedly mistaken for Cesario.
Though the plot may seem hard to follow, Campbell said the cast has worked to make the production understandable by all viewers.
“Our primary focus is the language,” Campbell said. “We want to make the show completely accessible to viewers, so we’ve worked with the scenes to give it a contemporary feel.”
Lyons said he believes audiences will enjoy the dialogue.
“The best thing about the show is the text,” he said. “It is poetry.”
The play’s beautiful Malibu-inspired setting magnifies the beautiful language, Campbell said.
Campbell’s inspiration came from walks he took on beaches along the Malibu and Newport Beach coasts. The set of “Twelfth Night” alternates between two beach estates based on the ones he had seen during his strolls. The show will also feature live classic rock music written by Chris Stivers.
“There will be a live band on stage and singing and dancing to California beach music,” Campbell said.
In addition, the set will include a heart-shaped pool, and during one act, a film will be projected showing a shipwreck scene.
Senior Zachary Hoogendyk, who plays Marvolio, said he believes there are a lot of additions to the show that will make it both fun and funny to watch.
“Whether people like Shakespeare or not, they tend to like comedies, and this is definitely a comedy,” Hoogendyk said.
Campbell said he is excited to direct a Shakespearean play, as Shakespeare is his passion.
“I proposed the idea, and then I was asked to direct it,” Campbell said.
Campbell directed two shows last year, “Electra” and “The Weir,” but he said this will be his first big show in Smothers Theatre.
“Shakespeare lends itself to a big stage,” Campbell said, so he is taking advantage the large space Smothers Theatre offers.
Campbell said he is impressed with the student actors, especially considering the fact that many of them have not had experience with Shakespeare or classical acting training.
“They are good actors, and they have adapted well,” he said.
The students have said they enjoy working with Campbell and gaining theatrical experience.
“Everyone gets to bring their own style into the characters and play with each other,” Miller said. “It’s been a great process.”
Miller said she had always been intimidated by Shakespeare, but taking Campbell’s Period Styles course encouraged her to try out for “Twelfth Night.”
“I had never done Shakespeare before, but the class showed me that it is accessible, natural and fun,” she said.
Huntress, performing in her first show at Pepperdine, said she has learned a lot from her older peers.
“I don’t have the biggest part, but I love watching all the seniors and the older actors work because I’m learning so much,” she said. “They’ve taught me a lot.”
While for some students, the play will be their first appearance on Smothers stage, for Hoogendyk, it will be his last. He has taken part in 20 shows over the years, but he said the cast of “Twelfth Night” has been unforgettable.
“They are the funniest, hardest working, most compassionate cast I’ve ever worked with,” Hoogendyk said.
Lyons added that Campbell’s direction has made it a joy to rehearse and perform.
“Rehearsals have been awesome because Danny Campbell has been giving us the freedom to have fun with the language and our blocking, finding as many funny moments as possible, yet still keeping each role’s objective in the show,” he said.
It has been three years since Pepperdine showed a Shakespearean play, and Campbell said he hopes people take advantage of having the play on campus.
The play will be at Smothers until April 8.
03-30-2006
